Montalvo and De la Cruz, a reporter and cameraman, respectively, at TC Television;
Paredes and Molina, a reporter and cameraman, respectively, at Teleamazonas;
and Tapia and Torres, a cameraman and assistant, respectively, atCablevisión,
were taken hostage at a womenís prison in the capital, Quito, in the wake
of protests by inmates in overcrowded prisons in five cities around the
country to demand shorter sentences and better living conditions.

The journalists were trying to interview inmates at the prison when they
were taken hostage.

The protests erupted on Sunday, April 4, two weeks after guards in Ecuadorís
34 prisons went on strike demanding improved working conditions and back
pay. The Ecuadoran press reported than more than 100 visitors inside the
womenís prison were also held captive, though it was unclear if some of
them were there voluntarily or against their will.

After the news crews were taken hostage, am organizer of the protest said
they would use the journalists as leverage so authorities would listen to
their demands, the Associated Press reported. The inmates assigned the news
crews three cells and allowed them to continue reporting without any threats.

On Thursday, April 8, Teleamazonas decided to stop broadcasting news from
the prison until the stationís crew was released. Two days later, the inmates
freed Paredes and Molinas. Torres was released on Monday, April 12, because
of health problems, and the other were freed the next day, as tensions eased
and inmates continued negotiations with authorities.